Washington DC trip
by reany
Summary: Hayley won a trip to Washington DC through the Young Faces of America speech contest over Felix-bot.  Find out what happens when she brings Jake along with her.  The trip turns out to be more than either one of them expected.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Just a continuation Double Felix of what in my mind would happen with the Washington DC trip Haley won. Plus another excuse to write a Jake and Haley story.**

***Disclaimer: I do not own The Troop***

**Chapter 1**

**JPOV**

Here I sat in the airport waiting to fly to Washington DC with Haley and her mom. I started thinking about the events that got me to this point.

Despite the effects of being bitten by a Peruvian Swamp Sloth, (juicy mouth syndrome, itchy hair, fly away arms and looking pretty much crazy in general) Haley managed to win the Young Faces of America speech contest over Evil Felix-bot. As a prize for the win she won a weekend trip to Washington DC for the finals with all the other winning geeks. Not that I think Haley is a geek, she is more of an over achiever. She was allowed to bring a parent and one friend.

Of course Haley wanted Felix to go with her. He would most appreciate the history, architecture and whatever other boring stuff she went on about. Unfortunately for him, Felix had to stay and clean up the mess created by Felix-bot and create a less evil guard for the holding cages. Since Felix-bot exploded he needed to wait until the new parts arrived. I disliked that stupid robot from the very beginning. Imagine the nerve of that thing not only trying to steal Darla Robinson from me but also hitting on Haley. The thought of Haley and that hunk of metal was enough to turn my stomach.

Since Felix and I are the two closest people to Haley, I got invited as second choice. Second choice. Whatever, I'll take it. Any chance to go on vacation somewhere. Even if it means I'll be at a geek convention with Haley.

My parents didn't have any problem agreeing to it. For one they liked the idea of me doing something academic. Secondly, they really like the idea of me being invited by a cheerleader. They somehow think there is something going on between us. But they couldn't be more wrong. We are just friends. And sometimes barely that.

Since Mrs. Steele could only get one day off work we were to leave at 6pm on a Thursday arriving around 11pm. That way we only needed Friday off school and her just Friday off work. Then we'd come home Sunday.

"Now seating rows 7 through 15 on flight A1805 to Washington DC." I heard over the intercom. I looked at my ticket. Row 8. That would be us then.

I grabbed my carry-on bag and followed Haley and her mom onto the plane. I put my bag in the overhead compartment then did the same with the bags of both Haley and her mom.

"I get the window seat." I had never flown before so they agreed.

"Haley, I'll take the aisle so you can sit next to your boyfriend," Mrs. Steele said.

"What? No…"

"Mom! It's not like that." We both started protesting at the same time.

"Okay, okay. Fine. Whatever you say." She said then gave us a knowing smile as she sat in the aisle seat.

As the plane readied to take off I looked to Haley to see if she was nervous. I was ready to be a hero and offer an arm or hold a hand. Instead though she looked excited.

"Not nervous about flying, Haley?" I asked.

"Oh no, Jake. Flying is completely safe. Statistically more people die each year in car accidents than in airplanes. So no worries here." She smiled.

Once we were in the air Haley pulled out a folder. She laid it between the two of us and started jabbering on about the agenda once we reached DC.

"We arrive tonight and check into our hotel. At 8am we arrive to check in at the conference center. There will be a welcome speech, and then we listen to everyone's speech. Lunch is from noon until 1pm. Then more speeches and a quick ending speech. Then we are dismissed for the day."

"On Saturday," she continued, "we meet the group back at the conference center at 9am for a guided tour of all the main sites in the city. That goes until 3pm with a bag lunch sometime in there. Then a dance for everyone to close out the conference."

She continued on but I tuned her out. It was a long flight so after a while of looking out the window, I fell asleep. Some time during I tried to shift positions but noticed a weight on my shoulder. I opened my eyes to see Haley asleep with her head resting on my shoulder. I smiled to myself. It felt nice and natural to have Haley against me. Comfortable, I closed my eyes and fell back asleep.

The flight was nearing its end when I woke again. Haley was no longer resting on my shoulder. She was now leaning against her mom. They were both sound asleep.

I turned to look out the window. The lights of the city skyline were like a thousand of gorgeous stars again the night sky. I was so engrossed in looking at the sight that I didn't notice Haley had woken until I heard her whisper in my ear.

"Wow." She leaned closer to the window. I could feel her breath on my face and her hair against my cheek. She leaned so far she put a hand on my leg to steady herself. I tensed at her touch. Her proximity and her hand on my thigh were sending not so clean thoughts through my head about my best friend.

Haley continued to look out the window. "Its so beautiful."

I turned my face toward her and breathed her in. "Uh-huh," was all I could get out. No longer sure if I meant the skyline or Haley.

I was jarred out of my stupor by the flight attendant reminding everyone to be properly buckled in for landing. Haley returned to her seat without ever realizing the effect she had on me.

After we landed Haley and I bickered a bit about me trying to be a gentleman and retrieving the luggage off of the conveyor for them. She insisted that they didn't need a man and could do for themselves. I let her get her own and helped her mom.

We took a cab to our hotel and Mrs. Steele checked us in. Being a responsible adult Mrs. Steele got us two adjoining rooms. She and Haley in one, while I got my own room.

We said our goodnights and settled in to get ready for a busy day ahead.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N So I just notice that I have been spelling Hayley incorrectly all along. Oops. I promise to not do that anymore.**

**Also thanks to everyone who has been reviewing my stories. It really does make me feel good knowing that others are enjoying my stories as much as I have been enjoying writing them. I do plan to make this an adventure/romance story. So there will be Jayley eventually but I like to string it out for a while and just enjoy the tension between the two. So here next chapter.**

**Chapter 2**

**HPOV**

I woke up bright and early, ready to start the day. My mom was also up and at 'em. She has an old college roommate that lives in DC and she couldn't wait to get caught up.

After listening to her instructions on how the Metro Transit works in DC, how to reach her if needed, a run down of emergency contact info and how she would be back to the hotel around 9pm for the evening it was almost 7:30am. We were supposed to check in at 8am and Jake was still sleeping. I went in to wake him.

"Come on, Jake. We are going to be late." I shook him.

He swatted my hand away. "Just a few more minutes, Mom."

I smacked him upside the head. "I'm not your mom, Idiot. Get up!"

Jake rolled over and opened his eyes. "Oh, its you."

"Yes, its me. Now get moving before you make us late." I said exasperated.

I left the room to let Jake get dressed. We were headed out with just minutes to spare.

We checked in at 8am to find there was to be a half an hour continental breakfast and a meet and greet. Out of habit both Jake and I took a minute to look around the room for anything unusual and to check out the other students there.

I saw Jake take notice of a petite girl with wavy red hair, green eyes, a creamy complexion and a nice smile. He gave her a smile and a head nod then walked over to her.

I walked up to a group of guys that were talking and introduced myself. I learned the group consisted of James: a skinny, blonde haired, freckled faced 16 year old from Kenosha, WI; Shane: a portly 15 year old boy with long greasy dark hair and an issue with acne from Park City, UT; and Thomas (Tommy): a tall, lean 17 year old from Tucson, AZ with short sandy brown hair and a gorgeous smile.

They were all very nice and we immediately got along as we compared our academic and extracurricular activities. During the speeches I sat with my three new friends, just occasionally looking around to make sure Jake was doing okay. Each time he seemed smitten by the pretty red haired girl. So I figured he was doing just fine without me.

Some of the speeches were fascinating. They were ranging from industrializing the modern world to going back to our roots and focusing on agriculture. Others were so boring and useless that I wondered how they even made it to the finals. Then I remembered that if Felix-bot hadn't competed against me I would have won by default. Must be the case with some of these guys.

When we broke for lunch I found a table with James, Shane and Tommy. We had some free spots so Jake came over with the red haired girl whose name I learned to be Mandy.

She seemed like a nice girl. And for some reason she was as equally taken with Jake as he was with her. I wondered what could be wrong with her.

Tommy pushed his way so he sat next to me. I was secretly pleased. Tommy had it all. The looks, the brains, the talent and the charisma. I definitely am going to enjoy this trip.

Throughout the rest of the afternoon Tommy and I sat next to each other. We critiqued and analyzed each presentation. He was so intuitive. Sigh.

I did notice that Tommy started to get possessive of me blocking out James and Shane. While I did find it flattering it was kind of rude at the same time.

We listened to an inspiring closing speech where Tommy was proclaimed the final winner and I was runner-up. I was a little disappointed to not win. I couldn't blame whom they picked though. Tommy's speech really was impressive. As the day wrapped up we made plans of where to meet in the morning for our tour of the city.

I then made my way over to Jake and Mandy. I asked them both if they wanted to hang out the next day with Tommy and me. I smiled at Mandy but turned to Jake to let him know it was time to go. After I told them where we were meeting in the morning I went to wait by the elevator while Jake said his goodnight to Mandy. I looked away to give them a little privacy.

Then Jake and I headed back up the elevator to our rooms. Jake claimed to be exhausted from listening to a day of "nerd talk" and lay down to take a nap.

I, on the other hand, was so excited about our tour of the city the next day, that I pulled out the itinerary I swiped from the group leader. I then researched every one of our stops. I wanted to know the history and inside tidbits of everywhere we were going to go, so I wouldn't miss any single interesting detail.

I heard my stomach growl. I looked at the clock and saw it was 6:30pm. I needed to eat. Pizza sounded good.

The door between the two rooms was wide open. Thinking Jake was still sleeping, I walked in the room talking.

"Hey, Jake, I was…" right then the bathroom door opened. A ball of steam rolled out the door. Out through the steam walked Jake with just a white towel wrapped around his waist. His curly hair was wet and lying against his head. Water glistened on Jake's body. It slowly rolled down his lean, chiseled chest, making its way down to his rock hard abs then traveling down to be caught up in the towel. I couldn't tear my eyes away. I hungrily devoured his body with my eyes. I wondered what was underneath the towel.

"Hey! Knock much?" I was snapped out of my daze.

I looked up with my eyes wide, embarrassed beyond belief.

"I..umm..I wanted.." I fumbled with my words. Mortified I turned my back to Jake and started walking out the door. The only word I could manage was, "Pizza."

I went back into my room and sat in the chair I previously occupied at the table and put my head down on the table. I banged my head a few times on the table trying to remove the images and thoughts that had a little too much fun roaming through my mind. This was Jake. A friend. Friends do not think about other friends with those kinds of thoughts.

Jake came in through the door dressed in jeans and one of his tight long sleeved two toned t-shirts that showed off his chest.

"Did you say something about pizza? I'm starved."

I popped my head up. "Pizza? Yeah, I wanted to see if you wanted to pick up some pizza then we can catch a movie here." I hoped Jake didn't notice the blush still on my cheeks.

"Lets do it." He smiled. Either he didn't notice or he was sparing me the embarrassment. Either way I was grateful.

"Great." We headed out the door. There was a pizza parlor on the first floor of the hotel. We placed an order for a thin crust pizza with sausage, mushrooms, tomatoes and fresh crushed garlic. While we waited for the pizza we made our way to the gift shop to buy some chips and some Cokes.

Armed with our food we made our way back to my room. We flipped through the channels for a while before finally agreeing on Overboard with Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn. It has enough romance to make girls happy but enough comedy so it's not a chick flick for the guys.

I sat on the floor leaning against the end of the bed. Jake sat in one of the chairs with his feet resting on the bed. After a while of the movie, some good pizza and snacks the events of earlier were forgotten and we were able to relax and be comfortable together again.

"So Mandy is pretty." I stated. "And she seems into you too." I joked like I couldn't believe it.

"Yeah, well, can you blame her?" I tossed a chip at Jake's head. He picked it up and ate it. He continued. "Tommy also seems quite the catch." He then made a face like he stepped outside of manliness for a minute. "I mean, if you are a girl. Which you are."

I laughed at his fumble with words. "Oh yeah. He's smart and cute. I think he's into me. I hope he asks me to be his date to the dance tomorrow."

"He'd be stupid not to." He smiled at me. "I'm going to ask Mandy if she wants to go with me."

"She'd be stupid not to." I echoed back. "Now lets watch this movie. Its one of my favorites."

We both turned back to the movie. Before we knew it my mom walked into the room. When she saw us just hanging out she gave us both an approving smile.

After filling her in on our day and hearing about her reunion with her friend we all decided to call it a night. Another busy day in store for tomorrow.

I fell asleep to images of Jake wet in nothing but a towel. In my mind though the towel might just slip a little.


	3. Chapter 3

***In addition to not owning The Troop I also possess no ownership over Debbie Gibson or her songs**

**Chapter 3**

**Saturday**

**JPOV**

I was happily dreaming of Hayley coming into my room while I was in nothing but a towel. But in my dream she was also dressed the same. My dream got dirty quickly as both towels were discarded and we.. . I was woken with a shake. "Get up. Big day ahead."

"Huh?" I inquired groggily.

"Jake, get up!" I felt the covers being pulled off of me. The shock of the cold air-conditioned room jarred me awake. I looked up to see Hayley staring at me, her eyes getting wider. I glanced down to see what she was looking at. That was when I remembered that I had gone to sleep in my usual sleep attire. Yup, just my boxers. And it being the morning and me being a teenage boy, well you get the picture.

I quickly snatched back the covers and told Hayley to get out. I'd be dressed soon. That was a little embarrassing.

When I finally emerged from my room, Mrs. Steele was already gone for the day. She informed us the night before that she would be visiting her friend again and would be back some time at night. She was kind enough to have ordered breakfast to the room for us.

"Ah, bacon." I smiled and reached for a strip. I chuckled when I noticed Hayley wouldn't look at me. Just like last night when she walked in on me as I got out of the shower I decided not to make things uncomfortable for either of us. Did, though, take some time to think about the fact that both times Hayley just stood and stared at me. Hmmmm, wonder what that was about.

"Alright, let's go. I wanna see Mandy." I headed toward the door. Hayley look relieved that I gave her another free pass. Neither of us said much on the way down the elevator.

When we got to the lobby I saw Tommy already at our meet up spot. He immediately walked up to Hayley and grabbed her by the elbow. Hayley looked startled at first but then softened when Tommy told her he was worried. I watched them both, not really liking the way Tommy seemed possessive over Hayley. I would have to keep my eye on them today.

Then I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to face Mandy. She gave me a happy smile and a quick hug hello.

Next James and Shane arrived. Then a man in his late 30's wearing an orange polo shirt and khaki shorts arrived. He introduced himself as our guide, Mr. Cooper. He gave us a quick rundown of the rules. Always stick with your buddy, listen to and follow directions and do not touch anything.

Our group left the lobby to our first destination. The Lincoln Memorial and the Reflection Pool. Mandy and I trailed behind the rest of the group. Partly to be alone together, partly because I really didn't care about the information Mr. Cooper gave us and partly so I could keep an eye on Hayley and Tommy.

While we were at the Reflection Pool I heard Hayley sharply call my name. I turned to see a dog running toward me with its leash caught on a baby stroller. I reached out and grabbed the dog by the collar as he passed and with the other hand stopped the stroller right before it flipped into the pool. Then calmly I untangled the leash and passed the dog to its owner and the baby to it's mother.

I must have done something right because after that Mandy grabbed my hand and proceeded to kiss me on the cheek. Hayley turned to smile a good-job at me but Tommy yanked hand to keep walking.

A strange thing happened while we were inside the Washington Monument. While getting in the elevator Mr. Cooper tripped and the doors were about to close on his leg. Just seconds before it could Hayley snatched a briefcase from a man standing near her and tossed it to me. I was able to use the briefcase to jam the door saving Mr. Cooper's leg.

After that we decided to take a break and eat our bag lunch Mr. Cooper brought. Both Mandy and Tommy had gone to use the bathrooms. So while I was munching on a turkey and cheese on wheat, Hayley sat down next to me.

"DC is great, huh?" She started the conversation.

"Actually I was thinking that there seems to be way more accidents today than usual." I mused.

"I noticed that too. I wonder if there is something going on that we should check out." Hayley was thinking in Troop mode.

"Well, we are not at home. This isn't our territory to protect. We don't have Felix here to help us out and besides we don't have any proof that it's anything besides accidents." I reasoned. Besides we are on vacation. I didn't want to worry about work. I just wanted to enjoy having a pretty girl on my arm and taking her to the dance.

"I guess you're right." Just then Tommy and Mandy returned. Tommy gave me a dirty look and squeezed himself between Hayley and I. I looked over at James and Shane; they both just shrugged and rolled their eyes. That Tommy was starting to get on my nerves.

After lunch we headed over to the Smithsonian Museum. We didn't have time to look at everything there but we could spend a few hours looking around. While I wasn't quite as enthralled by everything like the others were, I did have to admit that some of the things there were really cool. Who would have thought that I'd have fun and learn at the same time?

Suddenly, I heard Hayley calling my name again. I saw one of the priceless vases start to tip. I launched myself on the ground and caught it. Then with a quick toss to Hayley, she set it back on the shelf so smoothly that no one around us noticed anything happened. I brushed myself off and used the excuse that I thought I'd seen a quarter on the floor. Everyone seemed to accept my explanation though I did see Mr. Cooper looking at me strangely.

As we returned to our hotel I asked Mandy if she'd like to be my date for the dance. She was so excited she launched herself into my arms. I'm not even sure she said yes, but based on the kiss she planted on me I assume we have a date.

I smiled and headed over to the elevator to go back to my room with Hayley. "So, I've got a date. A real date not like the one back home with Brittany where we used each other to get into the dance."

"Good for you, Jake." Hayley smiled and gave me a playful punch in the arm. "Tommy asked me, so I've got a date too."

"About Tommy," my tone turned serious, "don't you think he is a little too…I don't know… possessive."

"Oh its just means he likes me." Hayley explained away. "Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself."

"Fine. I was just.." she cut me off.

"Well don't."

"Fine." I surrendered.

After resting for a little bit I got up and got ready for my big date with Mandy. After my shower, I dressed in dark, dressy jeans and a dark brown, long sleeved shirt. I cuffed the sleeves and put on a rope necklace.

I walked to the next room to see if Hayley was ready yet. She walked out of the bathroom and the sight took my breath away. Hayley wore a red strapless top, a frilly black-layered skirt, a short black coat, black knit stockings and black heels. The top was tight and fit Hayley like second skin. It showed her curves perfectly. Her hair was down in loose curls. She had applied her makeup to accent her beauty without over doing it. Hayley was just stunning.

Hayley started to chuckle and I realized I was staring. "Wow, Hayley, you look…wow." I admired.

"Thanks." She said blushing. The blush just added to her beauty.

"You about ready to go?" I asked. I should get to my date instead of staring at Hayley.

"Yup." We headed out the door to the elevator.

As we rode down I saw Hayley checking me out. "You look nice too." She said.

"Thanks." I chuckled. "Don't forget to save one dance for me."

"Sure." Hayley said.

"Promise?" I wanted to get in one dance. Between friends of course.

"I promise." She smiled at me and I almost forgot I had a date waiting for me.

Just then the elevator doors opened and we headed into the lobby. Tommy and Mandy were already waiting. Mandy was pretty as usual. She was wearing a flowing peach colored sundress and strappy heels. Tommy looked quite nice in a dark blue striped suit. I kissed Mandy on the cheek and held out my arm for her to take. She grinned at me and looped her arm for her to take. She grinned at me and looped her arm through mine. We were off to the dance.

At the dance we chose a table that seated six. James and Shane, both dateless, joined us. There were heavy appetizers for us to eat as dinner.

The dance seemed to be going smoothly. Mandy and I talked and danced. I helped James and Shane scope out the single girls at the dance. Then tried not to laugh as they were shot down one by one. It really made me miss Felix.

The only bad part of the night was the way Tommy was treating Hayley. He would step in between her and anyone she tried to talk to. I could tell it was bothering her.

Towards the end of the night Mandy and I were slow dancing and I looked over at Hayley and Tommy. He was grabbing her roughly and she was yelling something at him.

"So I was thinking that maybe we could go some place quiet." Mandy said seductively, running her fingers through my hair.

But I was only half listening. "What?"

"I said that maybe…"

I cut her off. "Hold that thought." Then walked around her toward Hayley and that jerk.

"Listen, Pal," I pushed Tommy, "keep your hands off the lady."

"Stay out of it, Jake." Tommy warned between clenched teeth.

"She's obviously not interested." I stood between them. Then I stepped threateningly forward getting in Tommy's face.

Next thing I knew Tommy sucker punched me in the eye knocking me down.

"Jake!" Hayley cried and rushed down to help me up.

She turned to Tommy. "You," she snarled, "You, stay away from me!"

The dance chaperones arrived then and escorted Tommy out for fighting. Hayley grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the exit.

"Are you okay?" I asked her full of concern.

"I'm fine. I just want to leave." Without saying goodbye to anyone we walked out and headed back to the rooms.

I was stewing when we got in the room. I walked into my room and sat on the bed. I heard Hayley leave the room. Minutes later she reentered. A washcloth wrapped around ice was handed to me.

"Jake, I'm really sorry about what happened." Hayley didn't have anything to apologize for.

"Don't be. He was a big jerk." I was looking down fuming. "I could have killed him for the way he was touching you." A growl escaped my lips.

I heard Hayley walk away. Probably annoyed by my anger. I heard soft, slow music coming from the other room. Suddenly, Hayley was standing in front of me. She held a hand out to me.

"Never did get that dance." She half whispered.

I looked up and caught Hayley's eyes. She looked at me intently. I looked back down at her hand. I put one hand in hers and set down the icy washcloth with the other.

We walked into the other room hand in hand. She stopped and turned to face me. I stared into Hayley's eyes as she lifted both of her arms and put them on my shoulders. I gently rested my hands on her waist. We started to sway to the music. It was an old Debbie Gibson song.

_I get weak in a glance_

_Isn't this what's called romance?_

_And now I know_

_Cause when I'm lost, I can't let go._

I continued getting lost in the pool of brown that were Hayley's eyes. I smiled a little when I noticed she was equally caught up in mine.

_I don't mind not knowing what I'm headed for_

_You can take me to the skies_

_It's like being lost in Heaven_

_When I'm lost in your eyes_

She smiled and leaned to rest her head on my shoulder. Her grip tightened around my neck. I automatically pulled her closer. Wrapping my arms around her. It felt so right. Her face fit into the crook of my neck. Our bodies pressed against each other swaying in perfect harmony. My heart started to beat faster. I wondered if she could feel it.

_I just fell, don't know why_

_Something's there, we can't deny_

_When I first knew_

_Was when I first looked at you_

I heard her sigh.

"Hayley." I croaked out.

"Jake." She said lifting her head enough to look into my eyes again. Doing so left just a mere inch between our faces. I could feel her warm breath on my face. She looked down to my lips then back to my eyes. All thought vanished from my mind. All that was left was need. Need for Hayley. My body took over and I leaned in. When our lips brushed her eyes fluttered shut giving me permission to continue.

Just then I heard the key in the door. Mrs. Steele was back. Startled I dropped my arms and stepped back. Hayley's eyes popped open. We both looked toward the door as Mrs. Steele entered. I hoped she didn't notice the guilty blush creeping up my neck or the way we awkwardly stood apart.

Luckily she didn't. "Hey, you're both back from the dance. How'd it go?" It was then that she saw my eye. "Jake Honey, what happened?"

I mumbled something about being fine but tired and headed to my room. I got myself ready for bed. I could hear Hayley explaining what happened and filled her mom in on the day's events.

As I lay in bed I knew sleep was not going to come easily. What happened in there? I almost kissed Hayley. I knew how I was feeling but wondered what had been going through Hayley's mind. Was she just caught up in the moment or did she feel the same? I was so conflicted. It felt so right but at the same time I knew it could never happened again.

I lay there replaying the scene in my mind until I finally fell asleep to more intense dreams of Hayley.

**Observer POV**

I reviewed the notes I had taken today. My observations of Jake Collins and Hayley Steele proved to be quite useful. Hayley possessed great observational skills. I watched as she looked carefully at every detail of whatever she entered. I knew she had stolen the itinerary to study it. She was a planner. She also was able to come up with a plan using whatever was on hand.

Jake possessed quick and natural reactions and incredible strength. He seemed to act on impulse and instinct. I set a few obstacles in their path during the day while touring. They handled each with skill and grace not even letting those around them aware of the goings on.

I also observed the interactions between them. They work together in synchrony. They tend to feed off of each other's cues and actions. They also came across as caring and protective of each other. Putting the other person above all else.

They are exactly the team we have been in need of. I'll be contacting the proper people first thing in the morning to recruit Jake Collins and Hayley Steele for a special project.

***A/N Yes, I will be continuing this story until they complete their adventure in DC. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Wow, I totally love the reviews. **

**Durre - I feel totally honored that you joined just to review me. Thanks! :D**

**Chapter 4**

**Sunday**

**HPOV**

I woke early even though our flight didn't leave until noon. I needed some alone time to think about what had happened last night. First there was Tommy acting like a jerk at the dance but what had me most concerned was what happened between Jake and I when we got back to the room.

I had just wanted him to calm down. He had been ranting, mumbling and growling. So I asked him to dance with me. What I didn't expect was how I felt in his arms. I felt so safe. It just felt so right, so natural to have him holding me. I think I actually liked it. Then when he said my name and I looked up at him I felt a surge of excitement course through me. He leaned in to kiss me and I wanted him to. When his lips brushed against mine I felt electricity flowing through me. But the kiss never happened. My mom interrupted.

I touched my lips where his had been. I wasn't sure if I was mad at my mom for interrupting or relieved that she did. All I know is that it can't happen again.

Eventually my mom and Jake woke up. Jake took his usual route of pretending nothing happened so I followed suite. We were all packed and enjoying some room service breakfast. There was a knock at the door I answered it thinking it was the orange juice they forgot to deliver earlier. Instead there stood Mr. Cooper.

"Umm, hello, Mr. Cooper. What are you doing here?" Maybe one of us forgot something yesterday.

"Good morning, Hayley. Can I come in?" He smiled and looked into the room.

"Sure." I opened the door wider to let him in. "Mom, this is Mr. Cooper. He was our guide yesterday and one of the chaperones at the dance."

"Hello, Mrs. Steele." He extended a hand. He then nodded at Jake, "Jake."

"Its nice to meet you, Mr. Cooper." My mom accepted his hand. "What can we help you with?"

"Mrs. Steele, we at YFA have been quite impressed by Hayley. So impressed, in fact, that we have extended an invitation for Hayley and of course you and Jake to stay until Thursday. Of course we will cover the room bill for the week and the fee for changing your return flight home."

"That's very generous but I need to get back to work and Hayley and Jake have school." I could tell she was proud, but also practical.

"Actually I already called Lakewood High School and spoke to a Mr. Stockley." He looked right at Jake and me as he continued on. "He was thrilled and it's all cleared through he school. Also, I have contacted Jake's parents and they agreed as long as it was alright with you."

My mom looked surprised by this. "I'm not sure…"

"Please, Mom." I begged. "Think about what a great opportunity this is."

"Honey, I can't get any more time off work."

"Then go. Jake and I can stay here. We'll be fine." I said.

She chuckled. "I don't know about leaving my daughter alone in a strange city with a boy."

I hadn't thought of that. "Mom, seriously! There is nothing going on between Jake and me. He's like a brother to me. An annoying brother." Jake raised his eyebrows at me annoyed.

"Hey!"

"Trust me NOTHING is going to happen. " I continued looking at Jake when emphasizing the word nothing. I hoped he caught my drift.

With a worried look my mom looked between Jake and me for a minute before consenting. "Okay, but only because I trust you both. And I know Jake will look out for you. That shiner on his eye proves it."

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" I jumped into her arms.

She looked at Mr. Cooper. "They will continue to have separate rooms?" He nodded. "They will be provided meals?" Nod. "Transportation?" Nod. "There will be adult supervision?"

Another nod. "I'll be with them all the time except bed time. There is nothing to worry about, Mrs. Steele." He reassured her.

She finally relaxed. After quite a bit of instruction and some money for some clothes (we only had brought enough for the weekend) we finally said our good byes. She was off, promising to call everyday.

Once she was out the door and on the elevator. I closed the door. Both Jake and I turned to Mr. Cooper. "Okay, now tell us what's really going on." I said.

He smiled at my directness. "Very perceptive. Let me reintroduce myself. I am Mr. Cooper, advisor for the Washington DC Troop." He grabbed his left collar just like Mr. Stockley. Must be an advisor thing.

"I see. So why did you want Jake and me to stay?" I asked.

"Come with me to our headquarters and I will explain everything." He headed toward the door not even looking to see if we were following. Jake and I looked at each other, shrugged and followed.

We arrived in the Troop headquarters underneath the James Madison High School. It looked almost identical to ours inside. Much to our surprise though we spotted another familiar face.

"Let me introduce you to my team. You have already met Amanda, Mandy." I nodded hello. I saw Jake's face break into a grin. I suddenly had a little dislike of Mandy. "This is our version of your Felix, Sandra, Sandy." She looked like a female version of Felix. I think they even have the same glasses. "And the final member of our team is Andrew."

I cut him off. "Let me guess: Andy?" I snorted. I turned to Jake elbowing him. "Get it? Mandy, Sandy and Andy?" Oh I crack myself up. Jake smiled.

"Actually its Drew." He extended his hand. Man did I feel stupid.

"Sorry about that." I said embarrassed. Changing the subject I turned to Mr. Cooper. "So now that we all know each other, why exactly are we here?

"Well, Hayley, we need your help. Sandy, I'll let you explain."

Sandy's face was serious as she spoke. "Troop Grid spotted a monster called a Condylepous. It finds a male host and controls him to find a suitable female to mate. Then it plants its seed by drilling into her abdomen. Once the spawn hatches, it makes its way to the female hosts brain where it proceeds to eat its way out. The spawn is when it's most dangerous. Once it has eaten its way out of the female it grows to enormous size and can destroy an entire city."

I shuttered at the thought of, well all of it. "So where is it?"

"That's the problem. We don't know. Troop Grid detected it a week ago but we have been unable to locate it. All we know is that it has not found a female to mate with yet."

Mr. Cooper continued for Sandy. "That's why we need your help, to track down and stop the Condylepous before it mates. We are aware of your record and couldn't believe our good fortune when we discovered you were in town. We took some time observing you and believe you could help us."

"Well, we do hold the record for…" Jake popped his collar and started to brag but was cut off by Drew.

"Yes, yes we know. Now do you think you could help us?"

"We will certainly try. But I'm not sure what we can do without Felix. He is the brains of our group." Yeah, I'm smart but I know I pale in comparison to Felix.

"We will take whatever help we can get. Time is running out." Mandy said smiling at Jake. Lord, help me. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to handle it if she spends the whole time making goo goo eyes at Jake.

We all had lunch comparing notes of our Troop exploits. Both sides had some good stories to share. Sandy was a little nerdy and awkward but I was used to it with Felix. Drew was quiet and serious. I wasn't sure he even possessed a sense of humor. I love a guy who can make me laugh and get the job done. Speaking of which, I had to listen to Mandy giggle at everything Jake had to say. Jake of course was just soaking this up.

After lunch we returned to HQ to call Mr. Stockley and Felix. The eight of us conferenced for a while about the monster. I could tell Felix wished he were here with us. I wished it too. We work best as a team. Felix, Jake and I.

Mr. Cooper drove us back to the hotel, stopping to pick up dinner on the way. I brought few of the texts with me back to the room to study.

Once in the room I put on clothes to get comfortable and study the texts. I slipped on some gray flannel pajama pants and a white tank top. I pulled my hair into a messy ponytail. I then carried the texts into Jake's room and plopped onto his bed. He was dressed similarly in dark pajama pants and a blue tank top. Jake was lying on the bed with the TV remote in his hand.

For the rest of the night I sat next to him while he watched TV and I studied. I would occasionally bounce an idea off of him. After a while I heard a soft snore. I turned to look at Jake. He was sound asleep. I smiled and reached for the remote to turn the TV off.

I continued studying for a while longer. My eyes grew heavy. Unable to keep my eyes open any longer I dropped the text onto the floor and fell asleep.

**A/N Please review and let me know what you think. It really does help. But if you don't I understand too. I know I read way more stories than I actually review. But if you have a spare second...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Monday**

**JPOV**

I woke up quite warm and feeling weighed down. Groggily I opened my eyes. I saw an arm lying across my chest. I turned my head to the side and saw Hayley with her head resting on my shoulder, her face just inches from mine. Feeling me stir she opened her eyes.

"Good Morning." I said quietly with a smile.

"Morning." She yawned and smiled back.

Then it hit me. I'm in bed with Hayley. My eyes popped open wide. Hayley's did at the same time, too. We both simultaneously screamed and jumped out of the bed on opposite sides.

We stood there for a while staring at each other wide eyed.

"What?" I finally managed to get out.

"Sleeping! I was studying and must have fallen asleep!" Hayley looked panicked. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean…I'm so embarrassed." She dropped her head.

"Its okay" I tried to make her feel better. But then a thought occurred to me. "One question though." She looked up at me. "If you just fell asleep studying why did I wake with you practically on top of me?" I asked with a smirk.

Hayley looked mortified. "I wasn't."

"Sure you were. You were all cuddled up against me." I was enjoying this.

"I…umm…I must have been cold. Yeah, that's it." She tried to explain away.

"Keep telling yourself that. We both know you wanted to have a little piece of me." I laughed.

I could tell she wanted the subject dropped. "Whatever. I'm going to get dressed." She walked into her own room.

While I was just teasing her I did kind of hope she did want to cuddle with me. I slept so well and it made my morning that the first thing I saw when I woke was her. Too bad it won't happen again.

Shortly after getting dressed Mr. Cooper came knocking at the door. He got us some breakfast and we headed back to the DC HQ to work on this monster problem. Sandy, Mandy and Drew were at the school but not in HQ, as they still had to attend class. We talked about some of the ideas Hayley had come up with the night before but didn't get too far.

At lunch Sandy, Mandy and Drew arrived. It was obvious that Sandy had a crush on Drew but she was too shy to act on it. I could see her face light up with every word he said. Hayley hadn't noticed and sat down between the two. Sandy looked jealous but resigned that she could never compete against Hayley. Hayley is gorgeous after all. Hey, I'm allowed to think that. I mean, I do have eyes. Anyway, what Sandy didn't notice was while Drew was talking to Hayley his eyes were on Sandy the whole time. How could the two of them not notice they like each other? Seriously, when two people are meant to be together it should be obvious to them both.

Luckily for me, I already knew Mandy has a thing for me. We should be a couple. I started thinking about her confidence; her smile, her chocolate brown eyes, and her long curl blonde hair.

Whoa! I shook my head. Why had the picture in my head morph into Hayley? I looked over at Hayley. Catching my eye she smiled her gorgeous smile at me. I found myself smiling back.

I was pulled back to reality as Mandy slipped her arm around mine and said something about being late because of some jerk in the hall. At the word jerk Hayley's eyes opened wide.

"I've got it!" Confused we all looked at her. "I know where the Condylepous is. I know who the host is!"

"Well, are you going to enlighten the rest of us?"

"Its Tommy." She started pacing as she spoke. "It all makes sense. He kept asking me questions about my health and family medical history. He was so possessive and aggressive. And he arrived here Thursday and is staying with his family for a week."

"I think she's right." Mr. Cooper said. He had seen Tommy first hand.

"So what do we do about it?" Mandy asked.

"Well, I've got his cell programmed into my phone." Hay said. "I can text him to meet me somewhere private and we can capture him then."

"Hold on." I stopped them. "I don't really like the idea of using Hayley as bait. Its too dangerous." No way did I want Hayley to be harmed in any way.

"Don't worry, Jake. It'll be fine. You all will be there. I'll be perfectly safe." Hayley reasoned.

After we all formulated a plan, Hayley texted Tommy of when and where to meet. I still didn't feel comfortable but the plan did seem fool proof.

The five of us arrived at a storefront in an all but abandoned district. We needed someplace where there weren't too many witnesses that we would need to snark. It was almost 6:30pm so Sandy, Mandy, Drew and I hid. Mandy tried to hide with me but I wanted to make sure we had all possible routes covered so I told her where to be stationed.

6:30 sharp Tommy walked around the corner to a smiling Hayley. He had a self-satisfied sneer on his face. "Hey, Hayley. I knew you'd come around. Couldn't resist my charms, huh?" He wrapped an arm around Hayley's shoulder. "Sorry that Jake thought he could compete with me and stepped between us. " I tensed. That jerk didn't even realize it was his own doing. No, I corrected myself. It was the Condylepous' doing.

Hayley giggled and put her arm around Tommy's waist. "Oh, Tommy." She cooed. I was getting irritated. "Lets go for a walk and forget all about Jake. Shall we?"

"Perfect." Tommy said with a menacing tone. Hayley led Tommy toward the alley where we were all perched. There he paused and leaned down and kissed Hayley. I felt my cheeks go red as my blood started to boil. My knuckles turning white as I clenched my fist.

As Tommy's face rose back from Hayley's it started to change. His throat grew in size as if something was going to come up out of it and his jaw opened wide.

"Now!" Drew yelled. We all jumped down and advanced. As Tommy saw us his face returned to normal.

"Jake. Mandy." He looked at us with a glare. "What brings you here?"

"Give it up. We know what you are. Now step away from Hayley." I commanded.

Tommy laughed at this. "You really think you are man enough to take Hayley from me, Jake?" He then scooped Hayley up and took off at an abnormally fast speed. She tried to free herself but the Condylepous gave Tommy extra strength.

"Jake!" She screamed.

I took after them as fast as I could go but lost them. I regrouped with the others. "She's gone. Quick what do we know about the Condylepous?" I got out my watch-com to call Felix. "Felix, the monster has Hayley. Tell me everything you have discovered."

"It will want to go somewhere cool and dark. Like a food warehouse."

I looked at the others. "Is there anything like that around here?"

"Yeah, a block down there is an abandoned juice factory." I could have kissed Mandy then for that information.

I had to ask though. "What happens if we don't get to her in time?"

"I'm afraid that it would be too late to save her. There is no way to get the spawn out and she would need to be vaporized."

"Lets go then. Now!" I started running not looking to see if the others were following. I had to get to Hayley.

We found the warehouse with no problem. Troop Grid was able to verify that they were inside but not pinpoint where. After searching for about ten minutes I heard my watch-com go off. When I looked at it I saw that it was from Hayley.

I heard her voice but could only see blackness on the screen.

"Jake, I'm in an abandoned juice factory."

"I know." I replied. "I'm here. I'm looking for you. Why can't I see you?" I was worried.

"Because I'm tied up in a chair. My wrists are bound together but he doesn't know about the watch-come. I was able to activate it to call you. " She explained.

"Tell me where you are."

"Shhh. He's coming. I'll leave this on and try to get the information to you but don't say anything. If he hears you he will break…" She stopped and I could hear the door open.

"Hello, My Love." Tommy greeted her.

"Why do you have me tied in a vat? And why does it smell like grape in here?" Good girl, Hayley! I looked at an old directory for where the grape juice vats were located and started running.

"That information is meaningless, My Dear. What is important is that you are about to be the mother of an all-powerful being. You should be honored." I could hear the monster talking to Hayley. He continued. "Now just sit back and relax."

I heard ripping of fabric as Hayley shouted in protest. I reached the section with the grape vats. There were five of them. Which one?

Suddenly Hayley's piercing scream resounded coming from the vat to the right of me. She sounded terrified. I looked for a way inside but it was locked. So using the pulse laser I fired at the wall creating a hole I could get through.

As I entered I saw Tommy's body collapsed at Hayley's feet. In a chair sat Hayley. Her arms were tied behind her back and her shirt was ripped wide open. She was screaming as a yellowish monster with green spikes advanced toward her. Its mouth was spread into a terrifying grin filled with razor sharp teeth. It had a long tentacle like arm extended toward Hayley. At the end of the arm was a drill-like instrument about to pierce Hayley's stomach.

I raised my pulse laser and fired. The Condylepous exploded into a mass of blue slime. At this Hayley passed out. I rushed over to her. She was still breathing and besides some scratches and bruising she looked all right. As I untied her arms the others rushed in. They checked on Tommy. He was also alive but unconscious. I took off my shirt and used it to cover Hayley. I then picked her up and carried her out. Hayley woke in the car on the way back to HQ. When she saw me she wrapped her arms around my neck, put her face into my neck and started to cry.

"Its okay. You're safe now. I've got you. I'll never let any thing hurt you. " I rubbed her back trying to comfort her. I'll never let her know how terrified I was of losing her.

After receiving a clean bill of health we were driven back to the hotel. We could debrief the next day. Besides we were all exhausted after the day we had. I held Hayley's hand as we went to our rooms. We both needed a shower to clean off the day. Before I went to bed I checked on Hayley. She was in a long t-shirt to sleep in and was brushing her teeth. She said she was fine and told me to go to sleep.

I was exhausted. Not only was the day physically taxing but also mentally and emotionally I was spent. If any harm had come to Hayley I don't know how I would have handled it. Almost the minute my head hit the pillow I was out.

I'm not sure how much time had passed before Hayley softly calling my name awakened me. I half opened my eyes and grunted. I could see Hayley's silhouette standing beside my bed.

"Jake, do you mind if I sleep with you tonight? I'm still freaked out about earlier and I don't want to be alone."

I didn't say a word. I just scooted over in bed and lifted the covers for her to crawl in. She lay down next to me. I could feel her shoulders shake as she cried silently to herself. I reached over and puller her to me. I wrapped both of my arms around her. I could feel her try to burrow into my side. I reached up and stroked her hair until she finally fell asleep.

When I was sure she was out, I kissed the top of her head. I vowed to her sleeping form. "Hayley, I will always protect you. Always be here for you. Always comfort you. I will never let anything happen to you." I could feel tears forming in my eyes. I continued, "I need you. Hayley, I love you."

With a sigh I felt her body relax as if she could hear me and knew she was safe with me. Never wanting to let her go, I finally fell asleep.

***A/N I based my monster on the Cordycep Fungus. It attacks a host insect, invades and eventually replaces the host tissue. Some are able to affect the behavior of the host causing then to climb and attach to get to optimal temperature. After its done with the host it sprouts out of the head of the now dead insect. There are some pretty gross things out there in nature, but they make for interesting monsters in fiction.**

**Good guess Athyna DaughterofPosiedon and TheTroopandGACFan, it was Tommy. :)**

**Thanks for all the awesome reviews the last chapter. They really did make me smile. I read them several times. They made me want to start the next chapter right away. :D **

**So please keep reading and reviewing. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Tuesday**

**HPOV**

I dreamed again of my ordeal.

_Tommy carried me to an abandoned juice factory. I kicked, hit and scratched at him to make him let me go. Nothing seemed to phase him. He just kept the same sneer the whole time. It was unnerving. When we arrived he kicked a door open without seeming to exert any energy. He then carried me to a section with five huge vats. They were labeled as grape juice. He found the opening. He flung me over one shoulder and held me upside down by my legs. He used his other arm to open the door and grabbed a chair. After he set the chair in the middle of the empty vat he did a quick look around. He found some twine and tied my arms behind me and bound my legs after I tried to kick him. Then he left the room._

_It was cool in there and had a strong sickeningly sweet grape smell. It took me a while of twisting my wrists and hands but I gained enough slack to reach the buttons on my watch-com. Feeling around I was able to call Jake._

_"Jake, I'm in an abandoned juice factory." I needed to let him know where to start._

_"I know." He replied. "I'm here. I'm looking for you. Why can't I see you?" I felt some relief knowing he was near by._

_"Because I'm tied up in a chair. My wrists are bound together but he doesn't know about the watch-com. I was able to activate it to call you. " I explained._

_"Tell me where you are." He commanded. I could hear footsteps nearing the vat. I was afraid if Tommy knew what was going on he would break the watch-com and any communication I had with Jake would be broken._

_"Shhh. He's coming. I'll leave this on and try to get the information to you but don't say anything. If he hears you he will break…" I stopped as the door opened._

_"Hello, My Love." Tommy greeted._

_"Why do you have me tied in a vat? And why does it smell like grape in here?" Hopefully Jake would be able to use that information to find me._

_"That information is meaningless, My Dear. What is important is that you are about to be the mother of an all-powerful being. You should be honored." Honored? Not hardly. I just wanted to get out of here and catch this monster._

_"Now just sit back and relax." Then Tommy reached out and grabbed my shirt by the collar. With a quick yank he ripped my shirt wide open. I shouted at him angrily. How dare he? But my ranting was cut short as he started to change._

_It was the most horrifying sight I have ever seen. Tommy's sneer twisted and warped. His throat expanded as the monster worked its way up and out his body. When it reached his face I saw his sneer was filled with hundreds of razor sharp teeth. They moved towards me as it came out of Tommy's body through his mouth. Once it was all the way out Tommy's body crumpled into a heap on the floor. I had no idea whether or not he was alive._

_The monster grew in size in front of me. It was a putrid yellow with green spikes over its back. When I saw the tentacle arms with a drill-like hand, I screamed. I knew if help didn't arrive in seconds I would die. The drill started spinning and advanced toward me. I continued screaming. It was grazing my stomach when suddenly it exploded in a mass of blue slime._

I woke with a start. It was morning. I could feel comforting arms wrapped around me. I was lying tightly next to Jake. I had one leg wrapped around one of his legs. One of my arms was hold tightly around his waist. My head was resting on his bare chest. I realized his chest was wet with my tears. I could hear Jake whispering soothingly to me. I felt him kiss the top of my head. I sighed in contentment.

I lifted my head to look at Jake. Our faces so close I could feel his breath on my skin.

"Good morning." He said with a gentle smile on his lips.

"Good morning, Jake." I smiled shyly back at him. He hadn't loosened his grip on me so I laid my head back down. I was so comfortable, so safe, so warm. But realizing how intimately I was wrapped around him I knew I had to move before I made him uncomfortable.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Almost 10:30."

"Oh my goodness!" I jumped up, immediately missing the warms of his arms. "We are late."

"No, we are not. Mr. Cooper said he would let us sleep in and pick us up around 11:30 – quarter to 12 for lunch." He was propped up in bed on one arm. "The Troop cant meet with us until lunch time, remember?"

"Oh." I felt a little silly standing there. I wanted nothing more than to crawl back in bed with Jake I saw him glance down at my legs. Embarrassed that I was just wearing a t-shirt I pointed to my room. "I should go get dressed." I blushed and walked out of the room backwards wanting to keep him in my sight as long as possible.

Once in my room I just sat down on the bed. I was so confused. What is happening here? First there was the dance and almost kiss the other night, but what about being so intimately wrapped together this morning? There was no awkwardness, just that nothing else felt so right. Could I be falling for Jake? It was making my head hurt. I filed it in the back of my mind for later. I needed to get dressed.

At 11:40 Mr. Cooper arrived to pick us up. We had some sandwiches Mr. Cooper had picked up at a nearby deli. We were in HQ when Sandy, Mandy and Drew arrived. Mandy rushed over as soon as she saw Jake. She threw her arms around him and kissed his cheek. He said hello to her but his eyes never left mine. She tried to sit

between us but Jake scooted closer to me and patted the area on the other side of him. What confusing signals! He wanted to be near me but also sit next to her?

Urgh. Boys are confusing.

It was time to debrief Mr. Cooper on what happened the night before. Each of the five of us took turns giving our own version of what we had witnessed. I was told that after checking out and cleaning up Tommy the others snarked him. They told him he won the Young Faces of America contest. That he met us, even told him he took me to the dance (but that we had a great time). It all needed to coincide with what his parents were aware had happened. Of course they left off the whole evil monster in his body part.

Jake and I stayed for a little bit longer in HQ to file our written reports then asked to be dropped off at the mall. We were both way past clean clothes. We assured Mr. Cooper that we would be able to navigate the subway system to get back to the hotel. He dropped us off and promised to be back at 6pm to pick us up for dinner.

We separated for a bit in the mall while we each did some shopping. I knew I didn't want him with me while I bought some new panties. There was no way I was going to wear dirty ones. I was already wearing my last pair of clean ones as I always pack extra. I needed some new pajamas, jeans and a couple tops.

Shopping didn't take long. With all the extra time we decided to do some site seeing on our own. I had wanted to see the Capital Building so we headed there. There was a tour group just starting when we arrived. I was so engrossed seeing all the architecture, art and interesting facts that it wasn't until I felt a jolt go through me that I noticed that Jake and I were holding hands. I'm not even sure who grabbed whose hand. Either way I felt warm waves moving up my arm. I looked down at our hands and smiled. I moved my hand slightly so that I was able to change the position so that our fingers were entwined. That sent another jolt through me. My heart was racing. I wondered if Jake would pull away. Hesitantly, I looked up at his face. He was looking at the statues of the presidents in the hall but he had a small smile on his face.

After the tour we decided to just ride around on the subway. It was fun watching all of the people that got on and got off. We held hands the whole time. Realizing we needed to get back before Mr. Cooper arrived, we reluctantly got off at our stop.

It didn't take us long to get ready, which was good because we didn't leave ourselves much time. I put on my new skinny jeans and a flowing blue tank top. I left my hair down but scrunched in ringlet curls. After a touch of eyeliner, mascara, blush and lip gloss I was ready to go.

We arrived at La Fontanella's Italian restaurant. Sandy, Mandy and Drew were already there. Drew's 17 and was able to pick up the girls. Mandy patted the empty seat between her and Drew and motioned for Jake to sit. I sat between Mr. Copper and Sandy right across from Jake.

Dinner was delicious. I got the shrimp linguini in a garlic butter sauce. It was heavenly. I think I even moaned a few times it was so good. It was nice to be able to sit and hang out with everyone without any monster business over our heads. I was getting irritated at Mandy hanging on Jake's arm. Once even while crossing my legs I might have accidently kicked Mandy in the shin. Oops, my bad. I could see Jake and Sandy each holding back a giggle as I sweetly apologized for the mishap.

"Somebody's got it bad." Sandy leaned over to whisper to me over dessert of tiramisu.

"I don't know what you are talking about." I said keeping my voice low.

"You have a major crush on Jake." She explained talking slowly as if I was too slow to comprehend.

"There's nothing going on between me and Jake." I protested.

"But you wish there was." She chuckled. "I can tell by the way you watch him."

"Well, he's with Mandy." I knew I didn't have a chance.

"Mandy dates a new guy every week. Jake just happens to be new therefore enticing to her." I narrowed my eyes at Mandy. The little floozy better not hurt Jake or she will have to answer to me.

I wanted to redirect the conversation away from Jake and me. "So what about you and Drew. Its obvious you like him."

She looked over at Drew, who was engaged in conversation with Jake. She blushed. "Drew is older, cooler and handsome. Besides as a Troop coworker he doesn't even know I exist. I'm just the "smart one." He might not even know I'm a girl."

I looked over at Drew and saw him sneak some glances at Sandy. "Oh, he knows." I told her. "We might just need to remind him a little."

Her eyes got big as she looked at me. I smiled and told her to come to the hotel before dinner tomorrow.

Before leaving back to the hotel I saw Jake and Mandy slip away. My heart sank. They were probably off in some dark corner some place making out. _Doesn't matter, its not like he was mine_, I told myself to make myself feel better. I knew it did matter though.

It was a little after nine by the time we got back to the hotel. On the way back up the elevator my curiosity get the better of me. "You and Mandy seem pretty cozy."

"Huh?" He asked confused.

"The two of you disappeared for a while." I decided to just go ahead and torture myself. "You two advancing your relationship?" He looked like he had no idea what I was getting at. "You know, kissing?"

His eyes got bigger as he caught on to what I was thinking. "No, no. It wasn't like you thought at all."

"Really? What were you doing then?" I was hopeful but then again what else would they need to be alone to do?

"We went to talk."

"About?" I knew it wasn't any of my business but I wanted to know where they stood.

"If you must know, I told her it wasn't going to work out between us." Just then the elevator opened and he got off quickly. I could tell he wanted the conversation to be over. I was floating on air. There was no Jake and Mandy. Jake was available!

After roaming around the mall and the city all day we were both a little tired. I went to change into my new pajamas. I put on a purple silky cami top with matching shorts. They felt soft and cool against my skin. I knew they looked good on me even though they showed a little more flesh than I was used to. I brushed my teeth and ran my fingers through my hair.

I started toward my bed but then through of how cozy it had been the last two nights sleeping in bed with Jake. I turned before I reached my bed and walked into Jake's room.

I could feel Jake's eyes on me and heard his sharp intake of breath. My heart started beating faster. I smiled at him and nodded toward the bed. He chuckled as he scooted over and lifted the covers for me.

I lay down on my back next to him, staring at the ceiling. I waited for my heartbeat to slow down and my breathing to regulate.

"Jake." I started.

"Yeah?" I felt him roll onto his side toward me.

"Thank you." I said still looking at the ceiling.

"Of course, Hayley. I wasn't going to let the monster hurt you." He stated in the its-just-my-job tone.

"I know. You would help anyone." I knew this. Its one of the things that makes Jake such a great Troop member. I rolled onto my side toward him and propped myself up on one arm. "I meant thank you for everything. Thank you for taking care of me, for holding me, for making me feel safe. For everything." I saw him look at me like he was going to try to explain it away. "I know it's not just your job. Your job ended after you killed the monster." I paused. "Thank you for caring. You are my hero."

He chuckled at this and rolled back onto his back. "So doesn't every hero get a kiss on the cheek from the beautiful lady he saves?" He joked hoping to lighten the mood.

My heart started to pick up the pace again. I leaned over him resting one arm on his chest and shoulder and the other next to his head. I could feel his heart beating fast under my hand. I leaned down to kiss his cheek but as my lips were about to make contact I paused. Then slowly I slid my lips, brushing them across his cheek stopping in front of his lips. My head was tilted to the side. I could feel his warm breath on my lips. His eyes were watching me. Then without another thought I kissed him.

This only lasted a few seconds but felt the spark where our lips met. I pulled away to look in his eyes to try to gauge a reaction. His eyes were wide in surprise.

Thinking I made a mistake I started to move farther away. That was when I felt one arm go to my waist and a hand at the base of my neck as he pulled me down for a kiss.

Where the first kiss was soft and unsure, this kiss was passionate and needy. I was stunned at first but then eagerly took to kissing him back. My lips left his to kiss along his jaw line. When I got to his ear I gave a light tug on his earlobe with my teeth, breathing into his ear. He let out a groan and grabbed both sides of my face and brought me back to his mouth. I felt his lips part and he gently sucked in my bottom lip. This was driving me crazy, causing me to moan resulting in my lips parting. He took that as permission and I felt his tongue snake into my mouth. I grasped at the feel of his tongue. He wrapped his arms around me pulling me closer. I felt his tongue caressing mine. It was soft but intense at the same time. My whole body turned into a tingling quivering mess.

After a while of the most intense kissing I have ever experienced, we slowed down. Finally after leaving the last of my kisses gently at the corner of his mouth, I sighed contently and lay down with my head resting on Jake's bare chest.

We lay there. He was rubbing my back with one arm, the other behind his head. I was caressing his chest. I was never so grateful that he sleeps shirtless.

Everything felt so perfect in that moment. I fell asleep to his gentle caress.

**A/N I plan to take this story until they leave DC. I'll probably end it there. Water spilled on my keyboard making it hard for me to type. So it might be a while till I update again. Luckily I already had the chapter typed in but adding this author's note is taking forever.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N Hey All. Sorry for taking a while to update. First off, I had to wait until my keyboard dried out. Thankfully it works great now that its dry and I didn't have to buy a new one. Yay me! Secondly, I had some writers block. Thirdly, I was kind of bummed. The first weekend the last chapter was published, this story had over 600 hits but only 4 people total have reviewed. (2 of them review multiple times which cracked me up. lol) It kind of made me lose some interest in writing more. But I made myself. I want to complete a story (I still need to finish the other one I started). I don't mean to sound like a big whiner but reviews really do encourage the authors to continue on. So if you have a second please review, even if its to let me know you are reading.**

**Sorry if this chapter isn't the greatest. I was trying to push through the block and at least get something out. Forgive the lameness.**

**Chapter 7**

**Wednesday**

**JPOV**

I lay there holding the sleeping form of the girl I am crazy about. I've had a crush on Hayley (and a few other girls) since grade school. Yeah, I've dated girls here and there but nothing lasting. Mainly because I never thought I truly had a chance with Hayley. She is so out of my league. Thankfully to the Troop we have gotten a chance to get to know each other better. Where we would likely never interact otherwise due to our differing social circles, we are now friends. Not just friends but best friends along with Felix.

My crush growing the closer we became and the more we worked together. I let it slip when we pretended to be boyfriend and girlfriend to catch the Eris Fairy. But not wanting to embarrass myself thinking she didn't feel the same way, I told her I was just faking that I was just doing my job.

I don't think I fooled her though. When she and Felix wanted to be eaten by the Zylork she used it against me to escape. She approached me, still beautiful although covered in sugar and sprinkles. Her voice got softer and huskier as she seductively moved closer to me. She talked about creamy nougat in her husky tone. She kept moving closer and closer until she was inches away. I was too entranced to move. My lips parted for a taste of those sugary sweet lips. Unfortunately, I discovered the deception when I was clocked in the back of the head with a ladle by Felix.

I wondered if she started returning the feeling. An extra long hug after a mission here, a lingering look there, dirty looks towards the girls I've asked out. I wondered if those were all my imagination, wishful thinking. But last night she kissed me! The conversation was getting heavy and I thought I'd break the tension with a joke, but somehow her kiss on the cheek turned into so much more.

I could not believe Hayley Steele kissed me. But her quick kiss left me wanting more. I did not let the chance to kiss her pass me by. I pulled her in for more. It was the "making out" that I had been dreaming of since Hayley told my sister we were doing back at Christmas.

She fell asleep in my arms. Nothing felt so right like that moment. I was afraid it would all disappear when she woke and thought about what happened. I felt her stir. She turned her head toward me.

"Good morning." I brushed some hair out of her face.

"Good morning." She smiled and leaned up to give me a small peck on the lips. I let out the breath I had been holding. It wasn't all a dream. She still wanted to kiss me.

"How are you?" I smiled down at her.

"Hmmmm." She hummed as she smiled.

"We should get up." I said reluctantly. The last thing we needed was for Mr. Cooper to arrive and neither of us dressed. Especially after they trusted us alone together.

She groaned. "You're right." She rolled out of the bed. I suddenly felt cold and lonely. I watched as she left the room. Dragging myself up I got ready.

I heard the phone ring and Hayley answer. I walked in to find out what the call was about. Mr. Cooper had called. We weren't needed that morning or afternoon so we had the day to do as we chose. The director of the North American region was to be in town and we were all to go to dinner with him. Mr. Cooper would pick us up at 5:30.

"So what should we do until then?" We had the whole day.

Hayley's face lit up. "Give me 45 minutes."

I went back to my room and turned the TV on. After 45 minutes Hayley walked in. She had our whole day mapped out. We were to do more site seeing. I groaned but went along as long as it made her happy.

After a long exhausting day we headed back to the hotel. At 4 pm there was a knock at the door. It was Sandy. Hayley was so excited. She pushed me into my room and closed the door to the connecting rooms.

An hour and a half later Hayley opened the door. Her face was flush with excitement.

"I'd like to introduce you to Sandy." Hayley announced proudly.

"Umm, I already met Sandy."

"Not like this." She smiled.

Out from behind Hayley stepped Sandy. I barely recognized her. Replacing the oversized, draping clothes were a form fitting top and a mini skirt. Her hair was down in loose curls draping her shoulders. Her face was accented with subtle makeup. Sandy looked gorgeous. She smiled shyly at me.

Before I had a chance to ask why Mr. Cooper knocked at the door to pick us up. He did a double take when he saw Sandy. Not having much time he ushered us to the car.

Mandy, Drew and the commissioner Dr. Brandenburg were already there. I remembered my conversation with Mandy last night. She cornered me at the restaurant wanting to kiss, but all that I had on my mind was Hayley. I had to break off whatever was going on between Mandy and me. It was only fair to her. She wasn't very happy but she was good about it. I still felt uncomfortable around her though.

When Sandy walked into the room every eye turned to look at her. Drew's jaw dropped. I chuckled to myself as his feelings about her were written across his face. I knew exactly how he felt.

I sat next to Drew across from Hayley and Sandy at the table. It was an interesting dinner. Dr. Brandenburg made speech about how proud of all of us he was and how we were making history with all of our captures. It made me proud to be a member of the elite Troop. After the speech and dinner we went as a group to a teen club.

Drew and I sat at a high top table sipping some cokes as the girls all went to cut a rug on the dance floor. We watched the dancing. Drew couldn't tear his eyes away from Sandy. I couldn't blame him as I watched Hayley move across the dance floor.

"Just tell her already." Drew said.

"Excuse me?" He had startled me.

"Hayley. You should just tell her how you feel about her." I turned to look at Drew.

"What do you mean?" I turned back to watch the dance floor. I tried to play it off.

"You love her. I can see it in your face. Just tell her. " He looked at me with a smirk.

"I don't know. Besides look who's talking." I switched the subject to him and Sandy.

"What?" He tried to pretend he didn't know what I was talking about

"Sandy. I've seen you watching her. You should tell her."

"Sandy doesn't like me that way. We are just members of the same team is all." He must be blind.

"Dude, did you notice how she looks tonight?" I asked him.

"Yeah. She's hot. I mean she's always beautiful but tonight..wow." He looked like he could eat her up.

" Its for you, you idiot. Why do you think she dressed up? Because she wants to get your attention."

"Really?" How can a guy so smart be so dumb at the same time?

"Duh. You should go ask her to dance."

"What about you and Hayley? Do you think its real or do you think it's the circumstances?" He had a point. What if Hayley is only into me because of our close proximity? I looked out at her dancing and laughing and it didn't matter to me at that moment. "I'll ask Sandy if you ask Hayley. Deal?"

"Deal." I agreed.

We made our way out to the dance floor. There was a fast song playing and we joined in the dancing with the girls. As luck would have it the next song was a slow one. I looked at Drew. He took a big breath for courage then turned to ask Sandy to dance. I then turned to Hayley.

"So you want to dance?" I asked scratching the back of my neck. She didn't say a word. She just reached up and put her arms around my neck.

We danced getting lost in each other's eyes. She smiled and leaned over and planted a slow, passionate kiss on me. I knew it was going to be a good night, but I couldn't get rid of the seed of doubt that had been planted. Was this just a circumstances deal or the real deal?

**A/N One more chapter as they fly home the next day. Please read and review. :D**


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